Germany call-up despite bench role? Why he'd be perfect for the World Cup | OneFootball

"I’ll try to get him a Brazilian passport, because that’s the kind of goalkeeper we need in the Brazilian national team," Bayern legend Giovane Elber recently said into a Sky microphone. He was talking about Jonas Urbig. And with his hymn of praise for Bayern’s number two, the former Bundesliga top scorer is far from alone. 

In the now almost finished season, Urbig has gathered some really strong arguments to perhaps even end up in national coach Julian Nagelsmann’s World Cup squad. 

The former Cologne player is expected to succeed Manuel Neuer in the long term at Germany’s record champions. That he is on a very good path was shown not least by his gala performance in the match against VfL Wolfsburg. 

The Wolves, who are threatened by relegation, probably played their best game of the season, created an incredible number of chances, but in the end, despite an xG value of 3.88, they just could not beat Urbig. The 22-year-old showed strong reflexes and kept Munich in the game during the big pressure moments. Not even a painful blow to the head could stop Bayern’s backup keeper. In the end, it was another clean sheet.

No ordinary reserve

Urbig does not occupy an ordinary backup role in Munich. He is being specifically prepared to inherit Manuel Neuer’s legacy. "For his development, it is of course important that he gets games," Christoph Freund told Eurosport.

📸 Oliver Hardt - 2026 Getty Images

Bayern’s sporting director went on to explain: "That was the plan we discussed before the season, he has gotten those games, and you can see how he is developing at this level. He has played matches in all competitions — the Bundesliga, Champions League and cup. He is standing in goal with a great deal of confidence." So far, that is 18 appearances to be exact. 13 of them in the Bundesliga, and he kept six clean sheets. 

But it is not only his strong performances for Bayern that make him the perfect candidate for the role of backup keeper behind Oliver Baumann. It is above all his profile. And everyone knows: Nagelsmann places great value on having the right profile in his supporting players. 

On the one hand, through his role in the shadow of Manuel Neuer, Urbig is very familiar with the situation of having to step in when needed. He knows that his time will come and therefore is not making the highest possible demands for the tournament in the summer either. 

In keeping with that, he skillfully sidestepped questions about possible participation in an interview with Sky: "The World Cup is still a few weeks away. Until then, we still have a home game against Cologne and the cup final — unfortunately not the Champions League final. Only after that would I start thinking about it."

Familiar with the World Cup environment

On the other hand, despite his age and the fact that he has only been a backup keeper so far, Urbig brings the necessary experience on the international stage. He has already played several matches for Bayern at the highest level and, through his participation in the Club World Cup last summer, is already familiar with the conditions on site. 

As early as March, he was called up by Julian Nagelsmann, but had to end the trip early because of a capsule injury. Will he now receive another invitation for the World Cup tournament?

"That’s not our decision," Freund said cautiously, but added: "But everyone can see how the young lad is developing and what he is delivering. He is an absolute top goalkeeper. He would certainly deserve it and has the quality too. When you see how he works every single day, it is great. He definitely has the quality for Germany."

If his form curve remains this steep, a DFB nomination on May 21 would certainly come as no surprise. And if Nagelsmann does not call him, then maybe Carlo Ancelotti might pick up the phone after all. Provided Giovane Elber managed to sort something out with that Brazilian passport. The name Urbinho would definitely have a nice ring to it too. 

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 RONNY HARTMANN - AFP or licensors